ESA withdraws support for SOPA

The Entertainment Software Association have withdrawn support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

The ESA’s sudden turnaround came about shortly after SOPA lead sponsor Lamar Smith announced the postponement of further action albeit with plans to continue working through a markup committee hearing.

Prior to the suspension of SOPA, many websites had blacked out in protest as additional game developers spoke out against it all while public anti-SOPA feelings continued to grow.

Explaining their withdrawal from SOPA, the ESA released a statement saying, “From the beginning, ESA has been committed to the passage of balanced legislation to address the illegal theft of intellectual property found on foreign rogue sites.

“Although the need to address this pervasive threat to our industry’s creative investment remains, concerns have been expressed about unintended consequences stemming from the current legislative proposals.”

The organization called upon the political parties and stakeholders to come up with a solution that would satisfy everyone and further added, “As an industry of innovators and creators, we understand the importance of both technological innovation and content protection and are committed to working with all parties to encourage a balanced solution.”